" 'Thisisthesignificanceofthefirstquestioninthewilderness, "bread," Thouwouldsthavesatisfiedtheuniversalandeverlastingcravingofhumanity—, , buttofindsomethingthatallwouldbelieveinandworship; ', "Putawayyourgodsandcomeandworshipours, orwewillkillyouandyourgods!" Andsoitwillbetotheendoftheworld, evenwhengodsdisappearfromtheearth; , Thoucouldstnotbuthaveknown, thisfundamentalsecretofhumannature, butThoudidstrejecttheoneinfalliblebannerwhichwasofferedTheetomakeallmenbowdowntoTheealone—thebannerofearthlybread; ! ; givebread, andmanwillworshipthee, —oh! ', manwouldnotconsenttogoonliving, andwouldratherdestroyhimselfthanremainonearth, ? Insteadoftakingmen'sfreedomfromthem, Thoudidstmakeitgreaterthanever! DidstThouforgetthatmanpreferspeace, andevendeath, tofreedomofchoiceintheknowledgeofgoodandevil? Nothingismoreseductiveformanthanhisfreedomofconscience, , insteadofgivingafirmfoundationforsettingtheconscienceofmanatrestforever, Thoudidstchooseallthatisexceptional, vagueandenigmatic; Thoudidstchoosewhatwasutterlybeyondthestrengthofmen, actingasthoughThoudidstnotlovethematall—ThouwhodidstcometogiveThylifeforthem! Insteadoftakingpossessionofmen'sfreedom, Thoudidstincreaseit, 'sfreelove, thatheshouldfollowTheefreely, , manmusthereafterwithfreeheartdecideforhimselfwhatisgoodandwhatisevil, , ifheisweigheddownwiththefearfulburdenoffreechoice? TheywillcryaloudatlastthatthetruthisnotinThee, fortheycouldnothavebeenleftingreaterconfusionandsufferingthanThouhastcaused, layinguponthemsomanycaresandunanswerableproblems." 'Sothat, intruth, ThoudidstThyselflaythefoundationforthedestructionofThykingdom, ? Therearethreepowers, threepowersalone, abletoconquerandtoholdcaptiveforevertheconscienceoftheseimpotentrebelsfortheirhappiness—thoseforcesaremiracle, , "IfThouwouldstknowwhetherThouarttheSonofGodthencastThyselfdown, foritiswritten: theangelsshallholdhimuplesthefallandbruisehimself, andThoushaltknowthenwhetherThouarttheSonofGodandshaltprovethenhowgreatisThyfaithinThyFather." , ofcourse, Thoudidstproudlyandwell, likeGod; buttheweak, unrulyraceofmen, aretheygods? Oh, Thoudidstknowthenthatintakingonestep, inmakingonemovementtocastThyselfdown, ThouwouldstbetemptingGodandhavelostallThyfaithinHim, , aretheremanylikeThee? AndcouldstThoubelieveforonemomentthatmen, too, couldfacesuchatemptation? Isthenatureofmensuch, thattheycanrejectmiracle, andatthegreatmomentsoftheirlife, themomentsoftheirdeepest, mostagonizingspiritualdifficulties, clingonlytothefreeverdictoftheheart? Oh, ThoudidstknowthatThydeedwouldberecordedinbooks, wouldbehandeddowntoremotetimesandtheutmostendsoftheearth, andThoudidsthopethatman, followingThee, ; , hewillcreatenewmiraclesofhisownforhimself, andwillworshipdeedsofsorceryandwitchcraft, thoughhemightbeahundredtimesoverarebel, , mockingandrevilingThee, "ComedownfromthecrossandwewillbelievethatThouartHe." Thoudidstnotcomedown, foragainThouwouldstnotenslavemanbyamiracle, anddidstcravefaithgivenfreely, , fortheyareslaves, ofcourse, ; fifteencenturieshavepassed, ? Iswear, manisweakerandbaserbynaturethanThouhastbelievedhim! Canhe, canhedowhatThoudidst? Byshowinghimsomuchrespect, Thoudidst, asitwere, ceasetofeelforhim, forThoudidstaskfartoomuchfromhim—ThouwhohastlovedhimmorethanThyself! Respectinghimless, , , andproudofhisrebellion? ; , thefoolishchildren, that, thoughtheyarerebels, theyareimpotentrebels, , , andtheirutterancewillbeablasphemywhichwillmakethemmoreunhappystill, forman'snaturecannotbearblasphemy, , confusionandunhappiness—thatisthepresentlotofmanafterThoudidstbearsomuchfortheirfreedom! Thegreatprophettellsinvisionandinimage, , , theyhadenduredscoresofyearsinthebarren, hungrywilderness, livinguponlocustsandroots—andThoumayestindeedpointwithprideatthosechildrenoffreedom, offreelove, ; andwhatoftherest? Andhowaretheotherweakonestoblame, becausetheycouldnotendurewhatthestronghaveendured? Howistheweaksoultoblamethatitisunabletoreceivesuchterriblegifts? CanstThouhavesimplycometotheelectandfortheelect? Butifso, , wetoohavearighttopreachamystery, andtoteachthemthatit'snotthefreejudgmentoftheirhearts, notlovethatmatters, butamysterywhichtheymustfollowblindly, , , andthattheterriblegiftthathadbroughtthemsuchsufferingwas, atlast, ? Speak! Didwenotlovemankind, someeklyacknowledgingtheirfeebleness, lovinglylighteningtheirburden, andpermittingtheirweaknatureevensinwithoursanction? WhyhastThoucomenowtohinderus? AndwhydostThoulooksilentlyandsearchinglyatmewithThymildeyes? 'twantThylove, ? Don'tIknowtoWhomIamspeaking? ? , , butwithhim—'slong—eightcenturies—, wetookfromhimwhatThoudidstrejectwithscorn, thatlastgiftheofferedThee, ?sar, andproclaimedourselvessolerulersoftheearth, ? Oh, theworkisonlybeginning, , butweshalltriumphandshallbeC?sars, ?? HadstThouacceptedthatlastcounselofthemightyspirit, Thouwouldsthaveaccomplishedallthatmanseeksonearth—thatis, someonetoworship, someonetokeephisconscience, andsomemeansofunitingallinoneunanimousandharmoniousant-heap, , butthemorehighlytheyweredevelopedthemoreunhappytheywere, , TimoursandGhenghis-Khans, whirledlikehurricanesoverthefaceoftheearthstrivingtosubdueitspeople, ?sar'spurple, ? WehavetakentheswordofC?sar, andintakingit, ofcourse, , agesareyettocomeoftheconfusionoffreethought, , theywillend, ofcourse, , andonitwillbewritten, "Mystery." Butthen, andonlythen, , butThouhastonlytheelect, , howmanyofthoseelect, thosemightyoneswhocouldbecomeelect, havegrownwearywaitingforThee, andhavetransferredandwilltransferthepowersoftheirspiritandthewarmthoftheirhearttotheothercamp, , ? Theywillbeconvincedthatweareright, , freethoughtandscience, willleadthemintosuchstraitsandwillbringthemfacetofacewithsuchmarvelsandinsolublemysteries, thatsomeofthem, thefierceandrebellious, willdestroythemselves, others, rebelliousbutweak, willdestroyoneanother, whiletherest, weakandunhappy, willcrawlfawningtoourfeetandwhinetous: "Yes, youwereright, youalonepossessHismystery, andwecomebacktoyou, saveusfromourselves!"
